Twenty-one-year-old Karlie
Augustine is a survivor. She’s smart and tough, but she’s in too deep
with a bad boyfriend who isn’t above breaking her spirit—or her body.
Luckily, help arrives in the form of a leather-clad, motorcycle-riding
hunk on the right side of the law. Lucas Lafontaine is pure muscle, a
Corpus Christi cop who ignites something primal deep within Karlie. And
when he offers her room and board in exchange for housekeeping, she
finally starts to feel safe again.

As their arrangement turns
deliciously decadent, Lucas gets hooked on Karlie’s killer body and
fighting spirit. He wants to heal the pain he sees behind her eyes, but
to protect her he needs to keep her close, especially now that her
psycho ex won’t take a hint. Even as Lucas fights his own battle for
custody of his young son, he knows that what he’s found with Karlie is
real—and that he’d do anything to protect the woman he wants to take to
the finish line. -GoodreadsMy ThoughtsThe emotional punches just keep coming in Violetta Rand's newest New Adult novel, Loving Lucas.Whether it's the fallout from leading lady Karlie's dramatic split from her abusive ex, the intensity of her deepening attraction to her literal "white knight" Lucas, or the heartbreaking custody battle that Lucas is unfairly subjected to at the hands of his vindictive ex-wife; there is certainly never a dull moment to be had with this read.

Dealing with issues such as domestic violence, child custody, and trust issues on the parts of both Karlie and Lucas. This read is not the sort that one just picks up, peruses, and leaves behind. Lucas and Karlie are characters that readers will cheer for, cry with, and fret over.While the first half of the read is mostly concerned with the ups and downs of Karlie's rough and tumble existence. The second half gives readers the ins on things with Lucas...letting us get up close and personal with a few the cracks in his armor as well.

Rating this book is very hard. Due to the fact that the things that could be seen as pluses in some instances, could just as easily be seen as negatives in others.

Cases In Point:

LucasHe is one of those characters who does things in a big way, and for the most part, that can be a good thing. In the beginning...at least. When Lucas marches in, guns blazing, (figuratively) and saves Karlie from her ex; you want to nominate him for sainthood. As things progress however, and you begin to see how consumed he becomes with both Karlie and the details of her life...not so much. KarlieShe is trying so hard to make something of herself, and she has been through so much at such a young age, that it is really hard to see her hurt. Understanding her need for love, it is very easy to see how a man like Lucas serves as such a powerful draw for her.The problem?The rapid fire speed with which this poor girl goes from abusive ex to Loving Lucas. There is no down time. None!Then she is put in the middle of Lucas's personal issues and facing the possibility of an insta-family!At 21!Ummmmmmm...

Anybody else want to Cher-slap these people while screaming "snap out of it" at the top of your lungs?Yes...I am well aware that without said drama THERE WOULD BE NO STORY!Yes...I am also aware that these types of relationships happen everyday.Yes...I an also aware that Lucas is a "good guy". (In spite of his bad choices.)But there is just never a line of rational thought with these two.As you can well imagine...Where there is an abundance of attraction, high emotion, and a severe lack of rational thought, there is going to be GREAT SEX.This book being no exception.While it is true that the love scenes found here are decidedly vanilla. They are very sensual and very become increasingly intimate, as things progress between Karlie and Lucas.

And finally...the bikes.The motorcycle racing circuit acts more as setting than action. As such, it provides a springboard for much of the drama in the read, but its details are never put in sharp enough relief to switch reader focus away from character interplay.Reviewer's Note:Loving Lucas is the first in a series. Because said series is new to me, I can not say whether it can be read independently, or if it must be read in serial succession.

About ViolettaRaised in Corpus Christi,
Texas, Violetta Rand spent her childhood reading, writing, and playing
soccer. After meeting her husband in New England, they moved to Alaska
where she studied environmental science and policy as an undergraduate
before attending graduate school. Violetta then spent nearly a decade
working as an environmental scientist, specializing in soil and water
contamination and environmental assessments.

Violetta still
lives in Anchorage, Alaska and spends her days writing evocative New
Adult romance and historical romance. When she’s not reading, writing,
or editing, she enjoys time with her husband, pets, and friends. In her
free time, she loves to hike, fish, and ride motorcycles and 4-wheelers.